Twisted Love Letters
by Chibi Wingzero
Summary: Jou decides to write a love letter and confesses his love. Unfortunately, it ends up in the wrong hands. Now everyone is trying to find out who this mysterious person is and why they can't seem to find himher. Shounen ai warning! mm relationships.
1. The Letter

Title: Twisted Love Letters (prolog/?)  
Author: Chibi Wingzero  
Rating: R  
Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, implied Hikari/Jou  
Beta: MOFAF (MomOfFluffyAndFluffier)  
Spoilers: If you haven't seen the Battle City Tournament, then yes.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.  
Summary: Jou decides to write a love letter and confesses his love. Unfortunately, it ends up in the wrong hands. Now everyone is trying to find out who this mysterious person is and why they can't seem to find him/her. Among these people is one very possessive brunette. He doesn't like it when people take what is rightfully his.

Prolog: The Letter-----------------------------------------------------------------_Dear Hikari_

_  
I don't know why I'm doing this, or if in fact I'm actually doing it, because I'm not the type of guy to confess my feelings, even to a sheet of paper. Something has been bothering me and I can't seem to go to sleep. No wonder why I'm always running late or the fact that I'm now spending quality time with our detention teacher. Anyways, I need to get this off my chest before I literally explode and tell someone. Oops, I already am, but it's not like anyone's going to see this, hopefully. _

_  
I, Jounouchi Katsuya, am in love. Yes, I am in love. It's hard to imagine a punk like me falling in love. Then again, it's even harder for some people to accept that I have become a better duelist. Let's face it, I stunk when I first started, but look at me now. I'm second place in the __Duelist__Kingdom__ Tournament and a finalist in the __Battle__City__ Tournament. If that doesn't say something, then I don't know what does. Ah, I'm goin' off topic. It's possible for someone like me to fall in love. _

_  
It's hard to explain, but I know I'm in love with you. I don't know when it started. It snuck up on me and knocked me into the shadow realm literally! Yeah, yeah, I know you don't like the idea of magic and all that stuff, but you've got to admit some of the strange things we've seen can't be explained by science or your fancy technology. Back to the point here, I'm truly and deeply in love with you. _

_  
There, I said it. I've confessed my true feelings. I've laid it down. Eh, I know it's not all flowery and all romantic, but love comes from the heart not the mind. At least, that's what I believe. I know you probably wouldn't care about what I think or the fact that I'm completely in love with you. You most likely don't even care if I'm alive as you do with most people, but that's what makes you. You!_

_  
It's hard to believe that someone like me could fall in love with you of all people. We're like complete opposites, but we have so much in common. We're like yin and yang, night and day, hikari and yami. Okay, that's a bad joke. _

_  
But people say opposites attract. I think opposites attract, because we see qualities we want in that other person, which we ourselves don't have. Man, I'm thinking way too much. I think my brain hurts. _

_  
Aw crap, I have a book report due in less than a week and I haven't even gotten the book. _

_  
Love,  
Jounouchi Katsuya_

-----------------------------------------------------------------

OOC: XP Does Hikari sound awfully like a certain someone? whistles innocently


	2. When Everything Goes Wrong I

Title: Twisted Love Letters (1/?)

Author: Chibi Wingzero

Rating: R

Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, implied Hikari/Jou

Beta: MOFAF (MomOfFluffyAndFluffier).

Spoilers: If you haven't seen the Battle City Tournament, then yes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

Summary: Jou decides to write a love letter and confesses his love. Unfortunately, it ends up in the wrong hands. Now everyone is trying to find out who this mysterious person is and why they can't seem to find him/her. Among these people is one very possessive brunette. He doesn't like it when people take what is rightfully his.

Warnings: This WILL be shounen ai/yaoi. If you do not like, then don't read or bother reviewing. Flames or "semi-flames" will be ignored.

Question: Why use the name Hikari?

1) Think about it. This is Jou here. He isn't that creative when it comes to names.

2) Yes, I know it will cause confusion; hence, the reason for choosing the name. A jealous Kaiba is a fun one to write and read about, ne?

Chapter Title: When Everything Goes Wrong I

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Placing the paper on his desk, Jou flexed his wrist. It was starting to cramp from all the writing and rewriting. He wanted to make this love letter perfect, even if no one was going to see it; or, at least, he hoped no one would. It was hard to imagine that he felt in love with one Kaiba Seto. They were polar opposites; yet, they had much more in common if one looked hard enough.

Jou glanced up at the clock wishing the minute hand would move a little faster. If he hurried, he could arrive at the library before it closed that day. Normally they would be open for a few more hours, but today they were holding a special event. Being Jou, he didn't know until Anzu informed him. She always made weekly visits to their local library for research or for pleasure reading. Jou didn't understand why she chose to spend her free time reading instead of playing video games or dueling.

The seconds seemed like minutes. The minutes dragged on like hours. The hours felt like an eternity.

"Okay, you may leave," the detention teacher spoke. He didn't like spending time with them either, but at least he was being paid to do so. During detention the teacher spent his time correcting papers. The students, on the other hand, could do whatever they wanted as long as it was within his rules.

The scraping of chair and rustling of clothing could be heard before the shuffling of feet towards the nearest exit, preferably the door. After all, they were on the second story. It was perfect to keep those teenagers from escaping their fate. No one sane would dare to jump out of the second story window and land on concrete. Okay, maybe a few would attempt it if paid a large quantity of money.

The blond had no time to waste and he didn't have the money to spare for the book. Jamming the love letter into his pocket, Jou basically shoved his way out of the room. He didn't have any time to lose. More to the point, he already missed his bus so that meant a nice long run for him. His day was just getting better.

"Hey Jou," a familiar voice called out. That familiar voice happened to belong to one of his best friends. "You want to hang out at the arcade? I heard they have this new game."

"Eh, no thanks, Honda," Jou called right back. He really did not have the time to be going to the arcade even if he had the book. Damn his procrastination. The others already finished their book report or were almost finished. Anzu already had hers proof read by their teacher. "I have to go or I'm going to be late."

Most people knew Jou would usually wait until the last second. He always seemed to be busy with duel monsters or hanging out with his friends. At least, that was the impression he gave them. A few of them knew he had a job to help pay for the expenses. However, none of his friends, or even his little sister, knew what really went on at his home. For starters, he did not need any of his friends to be worried about him. They had enough to worry about as it was. Then there was his sister. He didn't want to ruin her image of their father.

"Late for what?" Honda inquired as he caught up to the blond. He knew Jou wasn't scheduled to work that afternoon and didn't have any scheduled visits to his sister. Maybe it was an appointment or something.

"The library closes early today," Jou explained, still walking fast. If he didn't hurry he'd have to wait another day or go without dinner tonight. His father didn't make much money. In fact, he could barely hold down a job, which left Jou with paying their living expenses. Wasn't a father supposed to take care of his son and not the other way around?

By now the hallways were clear enough that he could run down them without running into anyone. There were a few students who stayed behind for after school activities, like the cheerleaders who were out on the field practicing their routines and the science club was holding its weekly meeting in one of the labs. The journalism team was in the computer lab making sure that the next edition of the school paper would be up to their usual expectations.

Needless to say Honda nearly fell over. He had known the blond long enough to know those two didn't mix. "Why would you, of all people, want to go to the library?"

Jou scowled at his best friend. "Unlike some people, I don't have time ta do my homework." He didn't mean to sound rude but he was fed up with all the distractions. First it was a certain billionaire, then it was the detention, and now it was his best friend. "Sorry 'bout that. I guess I'm stressed out or somethin'."

"I understand," Honda said, waving it off. They had their share of fights and they managed to pull through them. If anything, their friendship had become stronger as it had tested their trust and loyalty. "So does that mean you don't have the book report done?" He received a blank look from his best friend. "I take that as a yes."

As far as he could remember, Honda knew Jou had his fair share of problems. It kind of bothered him that his best friend didn't trust him. Then again, the blond may not want his friends to become involved with his personal problems at home. There were times Jou was in way over his head, but at least he had friends to watch his back. Even if they fought, they always knew they could count on each other until the very end.

"No kiddin'," Jou said. He pushed open the outside doors and sighed. It was going to be a long run for him. He might as well get started. Just as he was about to take off a hand settled on his shoulder causing him to turn around. "Eh?"

"I'll give you a ride," Honda said, jabbing his thumb over to his waiting motorcycle. His best friend seemed to space out for a second. "You said you were in a hurry."

"Oh sure," Jou said, finally gaining control over his mouth and brain. He followed Honda to where his motorcycle waited in the parking lot. "Tanks for da ride." Now, he wouldn't have to run the entire way, not knowing if it would be worth the effort. Besides, a little exercise wouldn't kill anyone, would it?

"No problem," Honda assured him with a smile. He casually reached over to grab the two helmets. Most people wondered why he brought two helmets whenever he went to school. He often would answer that he didn't know if he was going to give a friend a lift and would rather go through the trouble of bringing an extra one than losing a friend.

After accepting the helmet, Jou strapped it on his head and took a seat in behind the brunette. Since he had ridden with Honda on his bike before today he immediately knew where to place his feet and where to hold onto the driver without distracting or hurting him. It was fun riding on a bike and he wished he had enough money to afford one, let alone keep it maintained.

In no time they were off, speeding down the roads that would eventually lead them to the library. Funny thing, life was pretty much the same. There were different directions you could chose, all of which led to a destination. However, the destination may not always be the desired one. It was the same way with love. There were so many people he could have fallen in love with, but his heart chose Kaiba Seto, as if his life wasn't complicated enough.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why he liked riding on Honda's motorcycle. He felt free from all the restraints and responsibilities bestowed upon him, whether he liked them or not. He enjoyed not having to act tough in front of his fellow classmates, having to take care of his father, working his ass off just to pay the bills while trying to maintain his grades, taking care of his sister though he wouldn't give her up for the world, and balancing his time so that he could spend some with his friends. Closing his eyes, he felt the wind rush past him. It felt rather invigorating after spending all that time in detention. It made him feel alive.

Finally the wind became a breeze and then it quickly disappeared and Jou noticed they were in front of the library with more than enough time to spare. Hopefully they'd have a copy of one of the books from their list. He was glad their teacher allowed them to pick a title rather than choosing one for the entire class. It made things much easier for him to find a book, especially when it came down to the wire.

"About earlier," Honda said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. Sometimes he said things without thinking about the consequences. Hell, both he and Jou were known for saying things that they'd later regret. "I just…." Before he could even finish, the blond interrupted him.

"It's okay. I shouldn't a gotten angry at ya. I was jus' frustrated at the time," Jou assured him. He gave one of his cheesy grins. "Besides, ya gave me a ride here and I got plenty a time ta find a book and, hopefully, I'll get that report done before it's due." He felt his old self returning. Man, these past few nights had taken their toll on him.

Honda playfully punched his best friend. "In your dreams."

This caused Jou to remember those dreams. He would have blushed if he remembered the exact details, but he was determined to forget about those dreams. They were the last things he needed on his mind as he had a book report due in less than a week. Rather than become embarrassed, he chose to continue this little banter about his scholastic abilities. It was the lesser of the two embarrassing facts.

"Oh yeah?" Jou inquired, returning the punch. No, they weren't fighting. It was their strange way of bonding. Yes, it was very strange. Despite what they did or said, they still were the best of friends and nothing was going to change that. Well….. If Honda started dating Jou's sister, then things may not turn out well for either of them or in this case the former. The latter was very protective of his little sister ever since they were separated.

"Don't you have a book to find?" The brunette inquired, bringing Jou back to reality. After all, it was the reason why the blond could be found standing in front of the library's steps. The library was not one of his favorite hangouts. In fact, out of their group Anzu was the most likely person to be spotted here.

"Ya just had to bring dat up," Jou pretended to scowl. He cuffed his best friend on the back of his head as if he was scolding him. "Would ya mind tellin' the others I can't make it taday or for the rest of the week?"

Honda gave a mock scowled after being cuffed on the back of his head. True, it didn't hurt, as it was not intended to. It was a matter of pride and all that good stuff. Jou, on the other hand, just gave a silly grin.

"That's what best friends are for," Honda spoke quickly before adding, "Man, that sounds cheesy like something you hear right out of those chick flicks."

"You're tellin' me," Jou completely agreed with him. It did sound like it would come from a chick flick. He assured Honda that it would be fine for him to walk home. After all, he didn't live that far and he had a short cut. The brunette seemed reluctant, but with Jou's persistence, he finally left for the arcade.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Man, this chapter is slow, but this sets up the stage for later chapters. I will be updating next Fri (PST).


	3. When Everything Goes Wrong II

Title: Twisted Love Letters (2/?)

Author: Chibi Wingzero

E-mail:

Rating: R

Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, implied Hikari/Jou

Beta: MOFAF (MomOfFluffyAndFluffier)

Spoilers: If you haven't seen the Battle City Tournament, then yes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

Summary: Jou decides to write a love letter and confesses his love. Unfortunately, it ends up in the wrong hands. Now everyone is trying to find out who this mysterious person is and why they can't seem to find him/her. Among these people is one very possessive brunette. He doesn't like it when people take what is rightfully his.

Chapter Title: When Everything Goes Wrong II

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Looking up the stairs, Jou hesitated for a moment. Sure he had faced overwhelming obstacles and odds. He even visited the shadow realm more than once, and it was not a pretty sight. He had faced the Egyptian god card in a duel. So this should be a piece of cake, right? Well if he survived those events, then he sure as hell was not going to be intimidated by a building full of books. What was the worse they could do to him? Smack him over the head?

Jou trudge up the stairs determined to find a book and then leave as soon as possible. He had to start reading it and, with his job, he didn't have much time to spare. There were so many reasons to hate his father; yet, he didn't. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to hate the guy.

Strolling through the doors, Jou immediately became lost. He wasn't even sure where to start looking for these books. There were not many people on this floor to ask for directions. Besides they appeared to be busy or too preoccupied to help a lost boy. Now he really wished Anzu were there to help him or at least point him in the right direction. Maybe he should ask one of the library workers. That was part of their job, if he remembered correctly.

Jou stood there patiently waiting for one of the library workers to become available to help him find a book from his list. He figured he might as well look through the list of possible books. They were studying US writers. Anzu warned him not to read 'Grapes of Wrath' as it involved much of their history, and it was pretty long. The reason she knew this was because she wrote her report on this. Go figure, she was an overachiever when it came to school. Kaiba most likely did his report on the book

Then there were a couple by Mark Twain: 'Huckleberry Finn' and 'Tom Sawyer.' They seemed to be decent books, or at least they were not long. He recalled seeing a book with around a thousand pages, even if he could not remember the title.

"What brings you here?" a familiar voice inquired from behind him.

"Isis asked me to pick up a few books for her," Malik shrugged. His sister had reserved a few books, but she was unable to pick them up due to her meetings with museum personnel. "You never did answer my question. What are you here for?"

Grinning sheepishly, Jou replied, "I'm goin' ta barra a book for my book report." He hoped Malik would not tease him for waiting until almost the last minute. His day was already bad as it stood. "But I'm… How should I say this? Um …Lost."

Malik chuckled. "I figured that much when you were standing here doing nothing. The fiction books are located on the second story. They're organized by the author's last name, and if you can't find any, I'm sure I can borrow one of my sister's books for you. He did not even wait for Jou to ask the question. "She likes Mark Twain's writing so she bought a few books of his."

"Tanks a lot," Jou smiled and turned to head towards the fiction section when he remembered something. "Where's da stairs?"

The Egyptian sighed. This would take awhile if he tried to explain. "I'll show you where then." He motioned for Jou to follow him.

"Eh, you don't have ta," Jou said, suddenly feeling silly. "I mean ya can tell me where it's at, an' I'll find it." They had gone past the area of computers. Most of the terminals were in the stand-by mode as there were not many people to operate them. They were mainly used to locate books or go onto the Internet.

"It would take longer if I did," Malik waved off the idea. Even being new to the group, he knew Jou was not someone to remember details. "Besides, you'd probably get lost looking for the fiction section."

"Hey!" Jou practically shouted. He received a few reprimanding looks and a warning by one of the volunteers. "Have ya finished your book report?" Gods, he wanted to crawl into the nearest hole if the Egyptian had.

"I'm almost finished," Malik answered with a smirk, "unlike some people." He watched as Jou literally blew his top. It was easy to push his buttons. No wonder why Kaiba did it all the time. It was fun at times.

"Yeah, yeah," Jou mumbled, remembering to keep his voice down. He didn't have to be reminded twice, especially by the same person. It was rather embarrassing, since it was a complete stranger.

On the first floor, the library had the computers to access the Internet. They also had copying machines for copying papers or pages from books, especially reference books which were also located on that floor. The children's section was on the first floor for safety reasons as well as any rooms that held their activities. The stairs were located near the back of the reference area, and another set was on the opposite side.

Since he wasn't there to look up information for a research paper Jou did not bother paying attention to the reference section. He just wanted to get a copy of a book from the list, read it, and write that report. Hopefully, he could do the aforementioned tasks before the deadline. He didn't need another bad grade on his report card.

Not watching where he was going, the blond nearly bumped into the other one as they ascended the stairs. He mumbled an apology, but the Egyptian didn't mind the near accident, not after what his dark side had put Jou and the others through a few months ago. The stairs were surprisingly lit as the light poured through the clean windows. Well, they didn't want some poor guy to be falling down the stairs with an armful of books.

Once they reached the second floor entrance they both entered. It was a double door for some strange reason. Perhaps it was to allow large items to be carried into the room. Then again, they would have to bring it up the stairs and that was no easy task. Besides, they have an operational elevator. On second thought, it could be for safety reasons. If there was a fire, this place would no doubt go up in flames, since the books would provide a good source of fuel.

Without a word from either boy, Malik led the other to the fiction section. They had a few subcategories for the fiction section: historic, mystery, and science fiction. The books were sorted according to the last name of the author. This would make things easier for Jou to find the book he wanted or at least something that he could read in less than a couple days.

"Are they now allowing dogs in the library?" A cold voice inquired from behind them.

Jou clenched his hands in anger and just ignored the taunting voice behind him. It was the last thing he needed and wanted to hear that day. Why was Kaiba Seto in the library of all places? Did he not have a company to run or a brother to look after?

"Just ignore him," Malik whispered to the other blond. He knew Kaiba was only trying to rile Jou and was good at it, since he knew which buttons to push. "You still have that report to start."

"Figures you would wait until the last minute," Kaiba snorted. In truth, he didn't want to be at the library at all, but his brother wanted to borrow a few books. Naturally, he said he would buy them for Mokuba, but the younger brother only needed them for a few weeks, and they would be collecting dust afterwards. No need to buy them if they were going to be used as expensive decorations or paperweights.

Groaning Jou whispered back to the Egyptian, "Ya jus' had ta say it out loud, didn't ya?" He wasn't trying to sound accusing, but it sure sounded that way. Instead of some lame excuse, he received Malik's attempt to give him Yugi's version of the puppy eyes. It was not as effective as Yugi, but it was good enough to work on him. He sighed and wandered over to find a book.

"Ishtar, what are you doing here?" Kaiba inquired with a raised brow. He did not know much about the real Malik except that he had created Marik out of anger and that he was a good duelist if given the chance to prove himself.

"It's none of your concern," Malik muttered, still a bit annoyed at how Kaiba treated Jou. Sure they weren't the best of friends, but at least he knew where to draw the line. He knew Jou's limit. "Besides, it isn't as if you cared what happened to the rest of us."

For some reason Malik's comment struck a cord in him. He didn't know why, but he started feeling strange. Was it regret? Nah, that couldn't be the case. He promised himself that he would always make the right decisions especially when dealing with Mokuba. The little guy was his only family, and he intended to keep him safe.

"Do whatever you want," Kaiba managed to say without betraying his emotions. After all, why should he care what happened to them? They were merely obstacles in his path.

"I'm going to help Jou find a book," Malik said, wanting to get away from the bastard. Even though he was mean to them in the beginning, he changed once he began to interact with them and other people. His sister had once commented on his gradual change. She was beginning to see more of what he used to be as a child.

"Whatever," Kaiba replied with a bored voice. His little brother should be finished looking up whatever books he needed for his report. He had a company to run and all of his schoolwork to take care of.

"One a these days, ya goin' ta get what ya deserve," Jou mumbled to himself. He glared at the books innocently lying on the shelves, as if they were responsible for this mess. "Would it kill him to be nice? On second thought, the day he's nice ta anyone 'cept is brother is the day hell freezes ovah."

"Then maybe Satan can sue him," Malik quipped, having overheard the blonde's conversation with himself. "I'm sure that would put a dent in Kaiba Corps."

Needless to say Jou was shocked that someone had surprised him yet again that day. He would have to pay more attention to his surroundings. "Very funny, Malik." His eyes skimmed over the last names of the authors. They were supposed to be in alphabetical order according to his companion.

After finding a suitable book for Jou, the two of them were ready to head out of the library, when they both spotted Kaiba with his younger brother. They were both going over the books the younger was going to be using for his report. A large stack was situated between the two of them.

"Looks like the mutt finally found a book he can understand," Kaiba commented, being his usual bastard self. It didn't take him long to find out which buttons to push and as much as he hated to admit it, he kind of liked pushing those buttons to see what kind of reaction he would get from the blond.

Jou stormed over to where the brunette sat. "I may not use the fancy terms ya used to, but that doesn't mean I'm an idiot." He whirled away from the elder of the brothers, not trusting himself to refrain from punching Kaiba in front of his little brother. It would only make him lower than the brunette. He didn't need Kaiba using that against him when he already had more than enough artillery.

"Jou…" Malik spoke softly, only to be ignored by the other blond. He was about to ask him a question when Jou brushed past him. It didn't take a genius to tell that Jou was hiding his emotions; however, he wasn't as good as certain people. Calmly Malik walked over to where the brunette was standing. A noise from beneath his foot caught his attention. He bent over to pick it up, not caring if Kaiba was interested. Violet eyes widened.

True, Kaiba didn't care, but after seeing the Egyptian react that way, his curiosity was mildly peeked. Now the problem was procuring the piece of paper without appearing to be interested or curious. He could just demand Malik hand over the paper; however, this was a library. People were supposed to be quiet. If word ever got out, then his reputation may be slightly damaged.

"I didn't know he…" Malik's voice trailed off. He was in shock after reading the content of the paper. Even if he knew whose handwriting it was, there was no doubt who wrote the letter. The author of the love letter had left his signature. "He wrote a love letter."

"What's this nonsense you're babbling?" Kaiba inquired, grabbing the piece of paper out of the stunned Egyptian's hand. He then read it for himself and ended up shocked as well. Crumpling the piece of paper, he threw it down on the floor. "We're leaving, Mokuba."

Mokuba didn't understand what could upset his brother so much, but he knew this wasn't the time to ask questions. Instead he gathered his books and rushed after his brother. He figured it involved that paper lying on the ground, but there wasn't enough time to collect it. Besides, his hands were already full of books.

Malik blinked a few times before picking up the seemingly innocent piece of paper. He shoved it into one of his pockets. He still had to pick up the books his sister had reserved. She would no doubt be wondering what had taken him so long when it was just a simple task. Well, he could say that he was helping a friend. In any case, he had better be moving. The library was closing early that day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

AN: I've currently halted any writing in this series so I can finish a fic for a contest. The fic will be posted after Christmas.


	4. My Green Eyed Monster

Title: Twisted Love Letters (3/?)

Author: Chibi Wingzero

Rating: R

Pairing(s): Seto/Jou, Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, implied Hikari/Jou

Beta: MOFAF (MomOfFluffyAndFluffier).

Spoilers: If you haven't seen the Battle City Tournament, then yes.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.

Summary: Jou decides to write a love letter and confesses his love. Unfortunately, it ends up in the wrong hands. Now everyone is trying to find out who this mysterious person is and why they can't seem to find him/her. Among these people is one very possessive brunette. He doesn't like it when people take what is rightfully his.

Chapter Title: My Green Eyed Monster

-----------------------------------------------------------------

-Who in the seven hells was this 'Hikari' person?- Kaiba thought miserably, followed by , -What does she have that I don't?- By now, he was officially pissed off. What did she have? Well, she had a much more rounded chest and more than likely nice figure. If that was the case, then he should be the one. He had the looks, according to several fan girls, and the money.

Wait a second!

What if Jou was into girls? What if he was straight? Then Kaiba didn't have a chance against her. However, Jou could swing both ways. There was only one way to tell. It would be to ask Jou's friends; however, it meant admitting that he, Kaiba Seto, was interested in the mutt, which was the last thing he wanted before he discovered if Jou was interested in boys. Kaiba could ask on the behalf of a friend, but Yugi was no idiot and neither was Yami. Stupid former pharaoh or whatever he was.

-------Flashback-------

Kaiba had gone to the game shop to challenge Yami to a duel. However, he found Yugi-tachi studying for an upcoming test instead. He already knew how to solve the math problems since he had a hand in designing the latest dueling station. Nevertheless, Yugi, Honda, and Jou were having trouble with it. Malik seemed to be calm unlike the other three who were stressing out. Anzu seemed to be frustrated trying to teach them. Obviously she wasn't going anywhere with Jou or Honda according to the glares she was sending their way.

"Whadda ya want?" Jou scowled, looking up from what he called notes. His handwriting was hardly legible or at least according to Kaiba. Maybe one of them could understand 'Jou-nese.'

Cold blue eyes settled on the irate blond. "It does not concern you, mutt." It was fun pushing Jou's buttons and seeing him literally explode.

"Why I ought ta…!" Jou seethed, preparing to give Kaiba one knuckle sandwich. Having to defend himself at an early age gave the blond an advantage when dealing with the average student. Unfortunately, Kaiba was not average.

Honda was furious. No one talked about his best friend like that and got away with it. His fists were clenched and his body was tensed as if he getting ready to attack the taller brunette. True, he may not stand a chance against Kaiba, but he had Jou to back him up.

"Jou calm down," Malik spoke softly, despite having created a dark side that nearly took over the world. He carefully placed his notes down and attempted to calm the other blond while Anzu and Yugi worked on Honda. "He's trying to get a reaction out of you."

"Try?" Kaiba scoffed while crossing his arms over his chest. A duel disk was on his left arm, indicating what his purpose was. "Please," he drawled in a mocking tone. "What makes you think I have to try? It doesn't take much to get a third rate duelist like him riled up."

This caused Jou to lunge at the taller brunette; however he was restrained by a certain Egyptian. "Ya need ta keep ya mouth shut, ya bastard! One of deese dayz, someone ain't gonna like ya, and ya can't hide behind dat money a yours."

"You said it," Honda heartily agreed with Jou. One of those days, Kaiba was going to meet someone that wasn't impressed with his wealth or status. Then he was going to get what was coming to him. After all, 'What goes around comes around.'

"Kaiba, why are you here?" Yugi inquired with an authoritative voice. After all, this was his home. Well, it was attached to his home. More to the point, Yugi was becoming angry, and when he became angry, someone was going to end up in pain. Actually, Yugi wasn't the one causing the pain. It was his other half.

"I came to duel Yami or whatever he calls himself," Kaiba informed them as if they were little children. He raised his arm to show the dueling disk he possessed, figuring they were either idiots or blind as not to see it. "Where is he? I don't have all day."

"He's keeping my other half out of trouble," Malik replied for Yugi. No one knew how the psychotic spirit came back, but at least he was not after the power of the pharaoh. No, he was bent on tormenting the pharaoh as much as possible. Besides, it wasn't going to earn him a one way trip to the shadow realm and he found it to be rather fun.

"We're trying to study here so why don't you leave?" Honda suggested, glaring at the taller brunette. His best friend was already a nervous wreck with the test. He didn't need to add the billionaire to that list.

Kaiba just ignored Honda in favor of locating Yami. "Call him. I know you have some sort of connection or whatever you call it." He knew wherever Yugi was; the dark spirit was bound to be nearby. Since Malik said he was watching over Marik, then the two of them must have separated from their hosts' bodies.

"No," Yugi refused. He wasn't going to call his darker half just to duel Kaiba if he was only going to insult Jou. With the test fast approaching, he knew Jou was really under pressure. His grades weren't exactly the greatest and he may have to end up repeating that year while his friends moved onto the next grade. "If you want to duel him, then go find him yourself."

"I have better things to do than to go running around looking for him," Kaiba snorted as if it was the obvious answer that everyone in the world should know. It should be the other way around. They should be running around for him.

"We have better things to do as well," Malik replied an annoyance. He was sorely tempted to let Jou go or let his dark half play with Kaiba. Either way, it wasn't going to be pretty, especially since one was more than pissed off and the other one was officially insane.

"Ya got dat right," Jou completely agreed with the Egyptian. He wanted nothing more than to pound Kaiba right into the ground. Ew! Not that kind of pound. The blond wanted Kaiba to pay for all those insults.

"Does the pup need to hide behind his friends?" Kaiba sneered coldly at the irate blond. He never needed anyone to fight his battles for him. Well, there were a few times, but he wasn't going to admit it, since it had been Yugi or Yami who rescued him and his brother a few times.

Both blonds were about to speak when another voice interrupted. "Quit annoying my hikari. That's my job." The Egyptian groaned loudly when he heard the voice. It was his annoying darker half, followed by an equally annoyed Yami.

Cold blue eyes focused on the smaller of the two newcomers. "I challenge you to a duel," Kaiba announced, holding up his duel disk. His deck was already inserted into the holder.

Yami scowled, his anger increasing at a rapid rate. "No and I suggest you leave before I make you leave the hard way. I will not tolerate you upsetting my hikari."

"Can I send him to the Shadow Realm?" Marik inquired, hopping up and down like an idiot. One would wonder if he was sane in the first place or the reason why he was not in one of those happy places with the nice men in white uniforms.

"Please," came from Jou, Honda, and Malik.

Kaiba scowled. He certainly did not want to visit that place again. Plus, he knew these two would not hesitate to send him there should either Yugi or Malik ask. "Fine." More to the point, he had a company to run and a little brother to look after. It was going to be hard if he didn't possess his soul. Not very good, indeed.

With that, the brunette turned and exited the game shop.

-------End Flashback-------

"Seto," Mokuba called to his big brother, waving a hand in front of his face. The elder had been in deep thought ever since they left the library. In fact, he was worried. His big brother never acted like this unless either Mokuba or his company was in danger. "Are you there?"

"What do you want?" Kaiba snapped before realizing it was only his little brother. His expression became a little softer as he repeated the question. There was only one person who was allowed to see past his icy barrier and that was the only one whom he actually cared about.

"We're home," the younger brother announced. The servant had already gathered his books and brought them to his room. Biting his lip, he wondered whether or not to tell his big brother they had been home for about fifteen minutes. Then again, his big brother didn't have to know everything.

"I have some important business to take care of," Kaiba said, reflecting on his observations. Malik did seem awfully close to Jou and defensive. What if he was the one? For starters, he had better get all his facts straight. After all, Kaiba was neither an idiot nor a fool. That was the pup's job. Well, maybe that pointy haired friend could be considered one as well.

Mokuba nodded his head, but he mentally sighed. Originally, he planned for his big brother to take the night off. In that case, it would have to wait until another night. He started formulating plans to deal with his brother. If it was important to his brother, then it must be worth his effort. Whenever his brother had important business, it meant to leave him alone unless something urgent came up. He recalled the time someone had injured him in order to get back at Kaiba. His big brother was in a meeting at the time with important clients. Without any hesitations or regrets, Kaiba cancelled the meeting just so he could be there for Mokuba.

Important business? Yeah right. Straightening his trench coat, he slid out of his limo. He ignored his servants as usual unless he needed them to perform some task for him. Behind him, he heard his brother informing their staff to not bother him unless it was urgent and important. Everything else could wait for tomorrow or if he was lucky, later that night.

His home office had the basics and a few décor items. Of course, one of them happened to be a large hand painted portrait of a Blue Eyes White Dragon in an attack position. Another one was that of a Red Eyes Black Dragon, but it was definitely smaller and less prominent than the other dragon. On each side of the room, there were displays of awards or antiques, and cases of books that he wasn't ashamed of displaying in front of others. In the middle and towards the back end of the room, an elaborate oak desk sat, devoid of any colorful decorations. It wasn't cluttered with personal paraphernalia. He did however have a few pictures of Mokuba on it, but that was about it.

Kaiba trudged towards his desk as if he were about to deal with an annoying client. He plopped his ass, less than gracefully, into the chair. If this 'Hikari' person wasn't a girl, then it had to be Malik. After all, the Egyptian stood up for Jou that day. There was no doubt… Okay, so he wasn't a hundred percent sure, since he didn't possess enough evidence. It could be Yugi or Ryou for all he knew. Yugi had been friends with Jou much longer than Malik.

His computer sat there, waiting to be booted. Grudgingly, the brunette obliged. There were definite advantages to being a computer expert. First, he could track down all the girls with the name 'Hikari' without having to go through all the paperwork and red tape. Plus, none of the media hounds can trace it back to him. He could imagine the headlines. 'Kaiba Seto has a girlfriend. Who's the lucky gal?' Nope, not going to happen any time.

Being a billionaire, Kaiba had access to the latest technology. His computer was faster and more efficient than the average. Once he was online, he started with Domino High. It was more than likely she went there if Hikari knew Jou well. Typing furiously on the keyboard, Kaiba pulled up the entire list of students in alphabetical order. There were three Hisa, one Hiroko, five Haru, two Hide, one Hisano, and nine Hitomi, but no one was named Hikari.

The others schools within walking distance yielded the same results. No one was named Hikari. Perhaps, she was an online buddy or even a pen pal, but Jou knew her personally. It meant having met her in person. Then it could be a nickname. He was about to give up when he discovered the nearest 'Hikari' was sixty minutes away… by car. There went that idea. If she didn't attend school, then maybe she was home schooled?

"Argh, this is frustrating," Kaiba growled as he ran his hand through his hair. Tomorrow was another day, and he was going to get answers one way or another.


End file.
